Summer Schedule

• Posted on Allena Tapia
• in For fellow writers, Freelance world, Personal stuff
• on June 24, 2008
• 4 Comments.

Sharon Hurley Hall asked on Plurk.com “What do you want to know about freelance writing?” My first answer was Balance. I always want to know how others balance their lives with their writing. Yes, I’m talking about all the mommy writers out there, but that’s not all. There are lives outside of Mommyland, and they need to be balanced, too.

So, I thought I’d share my summer schedule with other writers out there, keeping in mind that this is a mommy-heavy schedule.

I hope that this schedule is an accurate view into freelance writing scheduling, and also gives a little insight to new writers.

• Sunday: Work 12-9 (husband is in charge of kidlets)
• Monday: Children home, see below
• Tuesday: Work 11-5 (have a sitter here YAY)
• Wednesday: Children home, see below
• Thursday: Children home, see below
• Friday: Work 11-6 (husband is home and in charge of kidlets)
• Saturday: No work, supposedly.

Some observations about this schedule:

• I work 6 days a week. I don’t like that.
• I’m not sure how these Tuesdays with a babysitter will work. She’s an excellent sitter, but I worry about my distractability (as you’ll see in this video, my office is on the main floor of the house). I also worry about my children pounding on the office door. And, I have to go to the  bathroom, but what if my kids mob me when I venture out?
• Another issue: children act differently around mom than sitters. What if they fight, wrestle and all the other things that children do? What if they annoy me (and my sitter) ad I lose my awesome Tuesdays and my awesome sitter?
• Notice that my husband gets three day weekends all summer. How many days do I get? That’s right, one.
• I don’t like working nights and evenings. It’s my understanding that many writers agree with me on that one.
• Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursday are hit and miss. We have a routine set up where I supposedly get 5.5 hours of work per day.

The Routine

This is our routine on Monday, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

• 8-10 Up, fed, dressed, mom walks on the treadmill
• 10-11 Kids free time, mom checks email
• 11-1 GET OUT OF THE HOUSE (a necessity)
• 1-1:30 Lunch
• 1:30-3 Kids rest, mom works!
• 3-4 Schoolwork (summer review worksheets)
• 4-5 Kids freetime, mom works
• 5-6 Prep dinner
• 6-8 Dinner and family time
• 8:30-10:30 mom works

5.5 Hours of work a day??? I certainly don’t feel like I’m getting 5.5 hours of work per day.

• First, the kids don’t get up until 9:30 lately! Time to set the alarm.
• By rest time, I feel like I need a rest. (Caffeine anyone?)
• The kids’ favorite free time activity is bugging mom…or swimming in the pool, which requires my supervision.
• The whole rest of the world is winding down at 8:30, and I have to gear up?

So, that’s how this working mom gets five hours of work done per day, and 38 hours per week. In theory.